During the period of Vietnamese feudalism, the Northwest was a faraway mountainous and secret area. Stories of the people from these remote areas were more like fairy tales characterized by mystical lands populated by nomadic tribes having such a special relationship with the environment. These people were considered savages by the rest of the nation and the more developed populations in the area. These “savage”, living in a large area from the North west of Vietnam to North of Laos, South Myanmar, South China and North Thailand depended entirely on the local wildlife for their subsistent living with little trade with groups outside the area. It was only when the French colonized Vietnam ventured into this mystical area that the inhabitant’s secrets and wild lives were revealed to the outside world for the first time.

Currently, once you have had the opportunity to visit the North West Vietnam, you have the opportunity to see a variety of ethnic diversifications which exist nowhere else in the world. The North West Vietnam is the home to heroic historical figures; known through historical stories honouring their triumphs in the battle against nature and its beasts from deep in the forest. The North West Vietnam is also the home of unique ethnic mountain tribes. Travel by motorbike through over 1,000km you are offered a perfect opportunity to discover the intimate culture of various ethnic minority groups, such as the Thai, Muong, Dao, Lu, Khang, Kho Mu, H’mong and Giay…It is also a unique chance for you to learn about the 9 years against the French colonialists during the period between 1945 and 1954.

Be ready to take a motorbike tour and discover the majestic miracles of the area on the open road and the secrets of the beloved North West Vietnam – a land which always draws open-jaw amazement and curiosity from travelers.

ITINERARY

Day 1: Hanoi – Mai Chau. 170 km, ~4-5 hrs.

Heading out of Hanoi by motorbike on road number 6 to Mai Chau, and idyllic valley populated by mainly White Thai ethnic people. Visiting Mai Chau, you have a chance to enjoy folk songs and traditional colourful culture of White Thai in Mai Chau. The scenery of the arrival to Mai Chau is characterized with beautiful limestone mountains and colourful hill tribes who can be seen and visited on the way. We also have an opportunity en route to learn about the culture of the rice-cultivating inhabitants in the Red River valley and Da River down stream. After lunch, we have the whole afternoon free to climb up to the top of Thung Nhuoi pass. From the top of the pass there is a beautiful view of Mai Chau valley, often engulfed by clouds but still a sight to be enjoyed. After visiting this wonderful site, we drop down to explore more of the area of White Thai people.

In the evening, we can enjoy a local dinner and overnight in a beautiful village at the edge of a river. After dinner, you can spend the evening sitting together around a fire and join in a Thai traditional music show. In their traditional attire, typical of their culture, Thai women invite visitors to participate in the Xoe dance. To the rhythmical and ebullient music, the hosts and guests will dance for hours hand-in-hand. When they get tired, they stop for a while to drink special sticky rice liquor called “ruou can”. Visitors who participate in the Xoe dance once, especially by the light of a fire at night are likely to remember it forever.

– Overnight and dinner in our host family of Thai.

– Overnight and dinner in our host family of H’mong people or

+ Breakfast, lunch, dinner, permits, and entrance fees.

Day 3: Thung Man – Phu Yen. 130 km, ~4 hrs.

After breakfast we say farewell to our hosts and visit thung Mai, the most timeless village of the H’mong ethnic people residing at an altitude of over 1,000 meters above sea level and in complicated topography. The H’mongpeople have lived here for nearly 100 years. While on the way to Ha Giang, they were forced to flee from French colonialists and settled in this remote area. To reach Thung Man, it takes about one and half hours to the top of the mountain. Upon arrival, you will see a pretty village with about 20 houses built from “stone” surrounding a small, fairy pond at the mountain top. The village seems isolated from the mainstream world. There is no motorbike or karaoke here! The owners of this mountain still retain their age-old culture and traditions. Moreover, visitors to this remote area will have opportunity to discover these people’s unique customs and simple lifestyle and even share the wisdom of the elders who enjoy the happiness of living under the same roof with 5-6 generations. You also have a chance to listen to the legends about the “toward South” process.

After lunch, we have the afternoon free to explore the dreamlike grasslands. These beautiful grasslands of Moc Chau have the best of both worlds, breath-taking scenery and some of the most favourable climate, in the Northwest mountains. Moc Chau’s flora is diverse, ranging from forests and tea plantations to fruit orchards.

We can walk to the local dairy farms and sample produce from the local processing factories. Dairy produce is Moc Chau’s specialty and is exported to many other countries.

After enjoying a beautiful view, we drop down to Da River and take a specialized boat along the river. Then we ride along the river to Phu Yen valley, one of the most prosperous and beautiful villages of Thai people in Northwest.

2 options:

– Standard hotel in Phu Yen.

– Breakfast, lunch, dinner, permits, and entrance fees.

Day 5: Tuan Giao – Sin Ho. 150 km, ~5 hrs.

Today we continue venturing in to northern Vietnam with the 98ksm remainder of the historical Highway 6. The road is rough, but the scenery is unbelievably beautiful and magnificent with the 7 tall passes cutting though steep mountain along the Da River flowing around the foot of the passes, which can be found nowhere else in the Northwest route. Moreover, part of the pleasure of travelling by motorbike in this region is the simple joy of the friendly smiles and greetings of the local people, which make the hardship all worthwhile. Along the way, we stop to visit the Black Thai, Kho Mu, Lu, Black H’mong, Green H’mong and WhiteH’mong, just some of the many hill tribe groups and discover their simple lifestyles and colourful cultures.

After lunch at Lai Chau, we take a boat to travel along the Nam Na River, passing the high, dangerous and sheer rocks, the pretty villages on the two sides of the river and the hillside green rice fields. The boat is not a big one, but the boatman is skilled enough to make your cruise safe and adventurous to the next destination. After that we make our way to Sin Ho.

– Thanh Binh Hotel 3***.

– Breakfast, lunch, dinner, permits, and entrance fees.

Day 7: Tam Duong – Sapa. 70 km, ~2 hrs.

This morning finds us on the road for the 50km ride to the village of Lu ethnic minority whose origin comes from Lao. We’ll have a chance to see beautiful stilt houses and girls who blacken the teeth and have a seductive smile. After that we have to cross the Muong Kim River back to National Highway 4D to travel to Sapa.

We will enjoy a picnic lunch at the top of Tram Ton Pass, the most beautiful one in Sapa. In the afternoon we are free to explore Sapa, which is usually engulfed by clouds. After enjoying an Artichaux cup of tea, a special drink from Sapa, we embark on a walk to discover this charming town and get acquainted with the host people who are the soul of this area.

Sapa was founded in the early years of the last century as a hill resort for the French administration at the time. It soon became famous in Indochina for its ideal climate. Nowadays, Sapa’s breathtaking scenery is some of the best in Asia.